Greenness of a Vehicle
Provided By: CarInsurance.com
When going to choose a new vehicle in which to purchase, it is important to look at the vehicle as a whole. One needs to decide if they like the options it comes with, if it is comfortable and if it is the right size for them or their family. Beyond those factors it is now wise, especially with the high cost of gasoline, to look into the efficiency of the vehicle and in particular the greenness of it.
Your choice of new vehicle to drive will make a difference with regards to the environment. The vehicle choices of new car buyers affects the quality of air that is breathed since passenger cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles are the main contributor to air pollution. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) almost 100 million people still live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, even with the improvements in air quality that the government and other agencies are continually working on.
In 1999 Tier 2 emission standards for tailpipe emissions was introduced and was put in place in 2004. It is true that there are these and other federal standards limiting the amount of pollution emitted from all vehicles sold within the United States but even with these laws, it is still the consumers’ choice to buy a vehicle with lower emissions. The EPA’s listing of air pollution scores allows car buyers to compare emissions of vehicles before going to purchase a new vehicle.
What to look for in finding a greener car is where most consumers fall down. They do not know about the green car guides that can be found at the EPA’s website of epa.gov. Or if they do they might not understand what makes a car “greener” than another. There are main concepts and scores to comprehend so that one will know what they are looking at for a green car.
The first concept is the air pollution score. The air pollution score is based on the level of pollution that produces smog and health problems. The EPA score goes from 0 to 10, with 10 being the cleanest. This score for air pollution allows you to compare the expected pollution levels of different vehicles.
The EPA determines the levels of pollution for each vehicle by doing exhaust emission tests for major pollutants in vehicle exhaust. The pollutants include nitrogen oxides and non-methane gases, carbon monoxide and various particulate matter. The first two pollutants are what combine in sunlight and help create smog.
The next concept to know about is typically well known among car buyers, fuel economy. Vehicles with higher fuel economy will not only save a consumer money but help save natural resources and create less carbon dioxide.The EPA fuel economy estimates are the same as those posted by the car manufacturers on the window sticker of new vehicles. These estimates are provided as a way to compare one vehicle’s fuel economy to another while on a dealer’s lot or while at home doing research.
The EPA and other environmentalist suggest choosing a vehicle that gets 25 miles to the gallon (mpg) or higher. The difference in a vehicle that gets 25 mpg compare to 20 mpg is that it will prevent an extra ten tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted over the lifetime of the vehicle. Choosing a more fuel-efficient vehicle not only saves the owner money in gasoline costs but can help save our air quality.
The Greenhouse Gas Score (GGS) is another element in understanding the greenness of a vehicle. The GGS indicates to consumers the exhaust emissions of carbon dioxide which is one of the biggest by-products of gasoline combustion engines. The EPA scoring for the greenhouse gas score is again from 0 to 10, with 10 representing the lowest amount of greenhouse gases.
Knowing the GGS allows a consumer to compare the expected amount of greenhouse gas emissions for the different vehicles in which they are researching to buy. The score is determined by the vehicle’s estimated fuel economy and its fuel type. The higher the score the less carbon dioxide is emitted as a by-product of the engine combustion.
Knowing these concepts will help consumers buy a better, greener car. Auto makers are trying to make it easier on consumers as well by selling cleaner cars. The cars of today are much cleaner and greener than those of just a decade ago but nevertheless remain one of the largest causes of environmental damage and bad air quality. As a car buyer and a person who breathes the same polluted air as others it is our responsibility to look into the greenness of cars and buy one that causes the least amount of damage while still providing us with our vehicular needs.
It was cheap, fast and simple!
Cary C.
Fernandina Beach, FL
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